After a convention in Las Vegas in March 2007, I travelled with fellow photographer Philip Kuruvita out into the desert to Bryce Canyon and Monument Valley - America's Wild West. The year before I had visited the Grand Canyon and Page, but all that did was tease me and suggest many more places I wanted to see.
However, we only had five days and it wasn't possible to 'do' everything. I find when travelling you're much better off spending time in one or two places and seeing them properly, rather than just peeping at too many. I also like to plan my trips so we're 'in position' for sunrises and sunsets. These are generally the best times to shoot, so you don't want to be driving from one location to the next when they happen. We planned our itinerary before leaving Australia and booked our accommodation, which meant we didn't have to worry about finding a motel in the evenings when the light was likely to be fantastic
Leaving Las Vegas, the sky was clear as a bell, but by the time we were approaching Bryce Canyon, low snow clouds were forming up ahead and we soon found ourselves enveloped in a cold, swirling storm. We headed up to the lookout, hoping for the weather to clear, but instead it closed in and we drove slowly back to our lodgings along a snow-covered road.
We awoke before dawn the next morning and headed out. We had already worked out where we wanted to be the night before, which was important. However, we hadn't planned on the road signs being covered in snow and so when we parked, we weren't entirely sure we were in the right place. However, a quick cross-country walk through fresh, shin-deep snow brought us directly to the sunrise lookout and an amazing pre-dawn scene. The sky was clear and the canyon blanketed in a white mantel. I couldn't have ordered a more perfect landscape to photograph. Phil and I spent the next couple of hours shooting everything in sight and it was a great start to the trip.
While I was using several cameras on this trip, what I really liked about the Lumix TZ2 was how easy it was to use. I could pull it out of my pocket and capture aspects of my trip that I might otherwise consider too difficult with my large professional cameras. Travel, after all, is about the experience and having the Lumix in my pocket meant I recorded more of my experiences than I would have had I relied solely on my SLR and large format cameras. The photo of the pine cone in the snow is one example, the shot of my footprints running up the knoll another.
After a hearty breakfast (there's no such thing as a small breakfast in America), we took a tourist drive to Monument Valley. It was a lot longer than I thought, both in distance and the time taken because we kept stopping to take photographs. I'll blame Phil for this, but no doubt he'll blame me!
Eventually we found ourselves speeding a little to reach our destination before sunset. We arrived with just minutes to spare and the sun was in the perfect position for a panoramic overview. Monument Valley looked fantastic and we couldn't wait to see what the morning would bring.
We stayed at Gouldings Lodge which, as far as I'm aware, is the only place you can stay in the area. Dinner was great and the next morning we drove into the Monument Valley park before sunrise, only to be met by a gate preventing us access. There was a van parked on the side of the road and an Indian guide offered to take us into the park before it opened. Access to much of the park can only be obtained with a guide and, although it cost us $55 each for the morning, it was money well spent in terms of the photos we took. We used our guide on two other occasions and apart from the locations he took us to, it was just great talking with a local and learning how other people live.
Our first morning in Monument Valley was breathtaking, but the second was better still as our guide took us into the sand dunes in front of the Totem Pole. Walking through the dunes in complete darkness, we tried to work out the best locations for the coming light. As the sun rose, it produced beautiful shadows across the textured sands which in turn created a wonderful foreground for what must be some of the most remarkable rock structures in the world.
After a couple of days scouting around Monument Valley, we drove into Page and visited the 'slot canyons', correctly called Upper and Lower Antelope Canyons. After parking the car, Indian guides drive you a couple of kilometres to a narrow gap in a cliff - the slot canyon. The sand floor can vary in height from season to season by several metres, depending on the amount of rain and wind. And inside, the effects of rain and wind can be clearly seen in the red, sculptured walls.
The highlight of a canyon visit is found at midday when beams of sunlight reach into the canyon. The guides then create a light show by throwing loose sand into the air, transforming the sunbeams into laser rays. You can't not take a great photo in Antelope Canyon.
Also near page is Horseshoe Bend. Driving along a major highway, you pull off the road and walk a few hundred metres over a small hill and there it is: the Colorado River hundreds of metres below sheer cliffs in the shape of a horse shoe. Don't go too close to the edge because you never know when a strong wind is likely to come up!
There's lots more to discover in America's Wild West and the area called 'the Four Corners'. Phil and I already have plans to return early next year - travel photography in this part of the world can easily become addictive!
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